


Begin Again

by snowqies



Category: Broadway RPF, Kristen Bell - Fandom, Real Person Fiction, idina menzel - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cute Ending, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24811333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowqies/pseuds/snowqies
Summary: Just a cute coffe AU story.
Relationships: Kristen Bell/Idina Menzel
Kudos: 6





	Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> This is all fiction. Inspired by Taylor Swift's Begin Again.

The sunlight that came through the window that morning was barely strong to bath the carpeted floor, peeping between the grey clouds that covered the sky that morning. A brunette yawned in her seat, her clothes matching the colors from the outside scenario and complementing the inside decoration among the lilac flowers in a corner and fancy paintings hanging on the walls.    
  
It was the third meeting with her divorce lawyer only this week, spending hours and hours sitting in a cold office in the seventh floor of the most expensive law firm in New York city and, despiste the luxury, Idina couldn’t help but wish the time to go faster or the case to be finished soon. If it were up to her she could have finished the whole procedure in the first meeting, agreeing to split all her goods with her husband, wanting to not care about his existence in the first second after she’d left the room.   
  
Yet she was still here, trapped like a  _ pathetic _ mouse in an  _ insufferable _ cage.    
  
“Do you understand?” the voice of her lawyer made her go back to the real world, shaking her head.   
  
“Huh?” Idina hummed, wrinkling a small piece of paper under her hands. She was tired and she still needed to meet her husband and his layer, her stomach sank when she saw the time on the clock in front of her, barely 9 past 15 in the morning.   
  
“Taye wants to countermand, apparently has some proof that he bought the beach house with 75% of his money, not with 25% like we are stating”.   
  
“It is important? I don't visit Long Island that frequently anymore, and is better pay a hotel room rather than take care of a whole condo”. She sighed, running her hands back down her brown hair, “Can we at least take a break? Louise, I’m tired and barely could ate this morning. If I meet Taye on this state then I’d have to be sued by murder instead”.   
  
Louise laughed, closing the folder in front of her and taking a look on her phone, checking her emails. She always loved the unique way Idina had to say the right things without lose the maturity of any conversation.   
  
Getting up off her seat she walked around the room, standing near to the big window that offered a majestic view of the city.   
  
“There’s a coffee shop just right there”, she noticed, pointing to it with her long nails painted in electric blue, “Why you don’t go to grab something and then we could continue?”

Coffee seemed like a good option for her.    
  
  
  
The first thing that caught her attention was the minimalist decoration in the walls, coffee recipes written in chalkboard of different colors that gave the place a more warm vibe.    
  
The second was the blonde attending the counter, taking and writing the orders with a vibrant smile on her face that also made her eyes shine. Idina took her place at the end of the queue, taking mental note of the multiple options that the place offered but without take off her eyes from the woman, her hands suddenly shaking with nervousness.   
  
Her turn finally came and soon she found herself speechless, internally biting her cheek when the blonde announced the characteristic welcome phrase.   
  
“Good morning, and welcome to Vaniville Town. What I can get to you?”   
  
She couldn't talk back, not when her eyes - that soon Idina discovered to be an unique mix of blue with a little hint of grey - were focused on her, hidden behind blonde locks that fell from her tight ponytail in a mess that Idina found excessively cute.    
  
“Aren't you from here, right? I would have had recognize your face”, the sound of her voice made her go back to reality.   
  
_ Uhhh _ . “I... I live in Tribeca”.  _ Good job, asshole. You can’t even answer a simple question right. _ _   
_   
“Wow, you’re quite far from home,  _ foreigner _ ”, she blinked, offering a sincere smile.    
  
Idina couldn’t help but laugh at the emphasis she put on the word ‘foreigner’, her cheeks turned red at this point as well as her whole face. She tried to focus on the multiple options the place offered, conveniently written in the wall behind the enthusiastic employee, picking up the first one her mouth could easily pronunciate without mess up with the words but increasing her blush by noticing the speed at which she said the phrase.   
  
Idina almost melt when the blonde pouted her lips, a sad-like expression in her face. If she was overreacting or faking it Idina didn’t want to know, looking back to make sure there wasn’t a long line behind her and sighing relieved to be alone in front of the counter.   
  
“Sorry, we ran out of mangoes and our provider had hard time to deliver it this morning, furthermore I can't offer you that frappe”, the blonde clenched her hands into fists almost if she were blaming herself, “I can offer you a coupon, and if you like also suggest a different drink”.   
  
“What do you have?”, Idina brightly asked, brushing an imaginary lock of hair behind her ear.   
  
The barista’s expression then lighted up, grabbing a small menu near to her, pointing to one of the different options displayed, smiling in the process.   
  
“Caramel macchiato, is my... ehm, our speciality”.   
  
“Yours?”, she raised an eyebrow, leaning into the counter.    
  
“It was the first coffee I learnt to make, let’s say it, correctly”, she giggled, the action making her look younger. Idina concluded she was barely 28 years old, “and the caramel syrup, I don’t think a sane person could say no to it”.   
  
“I’ll take that then, I trust you, don't disappoint me”, probably it was the first time in months after her divorce began that she smiled sincerely, not by courtesy or to pretend she was doing it okay. And Idina was grateful that the blonde woman was the one that caused that reaction. “A large one, and a chocolate muffin”, she pointed to the pastries displayed near to them.   
  
“Okay! That would be $7.99”   
  
Idina handed the cash, her hands trembling as the blonde’s fingers brushed hers. She almost lose it at the expression in the her face after she told her to keep the change, using a 20 dollar bill to pay a simple coffee was something she wouldn’t care about, shaking subtly her head when she tried to give some money back.   
  
“Alright! Can I get your name?” she then reached for a green sharpie and a paper cup.   
  
“Idina”.   
  
The barista then scribbled her name on it, quickly turning away to make the drink. She found herself staring lovingly at every of her actions, from her hands squeezing the caramel bottle to her teeth softly biting her own lips when she placed the order in front of her, probably hoping that she had made the recipe exactly how she remembered about.   
  
“Here you go, I hope you enjoy it”, she stared into the brunette’s eyes, “and thanks for coming to Vaniville Town”.   
  
“Thanks to you”.   
  
While heading to the door she looked back to the blonde, taking another order without even notice she was being observed. Idina took mental note of her voice and face, smiling when she saw her bite her lips again and making her, unconsciously, bite her owns.   
  
For sure she would visit this place again.   
  
  
  
“Can I get a large caramel macchiato with extra cream to go please, and a chocolate muffin”.    
  
Every wednesday Idina would come to the city to meet with her lawyer, listening to her explanations in boredom while also forcing herself to not daydream in non important topics.   
  
After exact 45 minutes she would ask for a quick break, crossing the street to the coffee shop in which she would make sure the cute blonde was the one behind the counter, waiting impatiently her turn and exchanging a few words with her until it was time to came back to her eternal and boring meetings, waiting for the next wednesday to come faster and start her routine again.   
  
With that she learnt that her name was Kristen, and was way older than she thought she was -  _ 38 and looks that good? _ -, and that she has been working as barista for less than a year while also working at home as the publicist and editor of some websites, a work high paid that gave her a lot of free time.   
  
Without anything to do at home and not wanting to waste her hours binge watching tv Kristen told her that she enrolled in a barista course, taking the job at the coffee shop soon after the classes finished.   
  
No one is too old to start new things, that was her philosophy, and with that positive mantra she began to came to work everyday at 8 am, loving the smell of fresh coffee beans being pulverized and the diversity of people that used to come for their drinks. Of course Idina was part of that diversity, with her suits way too elegant for that hour and dark brown hair almost always in a ponytail. Kristen loved that characteristic of her and, as the blonde even admitted, she also enjoyed their short but lovely talk, smiling happily every time the brunette crossed the front door.   
  
It was productive for both of them, and soon Idina came to the conclusion that if she must drive to the other end of the city just to talk to the blonde then she would do it without problem, even gladly.   
  
Anything to be able to see her blue eyes again.   
  
  
  
“Hey  _ Caramel Macchiato and Chocolate Muffin, with extra cream _ ”, Kristen winked, “the same as usual?”   
  
Idina blushed, brushing her hair to try to hide the reddish tone of her skin with her hands.   
  
“Am I that obvious?”   
  
“Not at all. You just came to the front building each wednesday exact at 7:45 am, then at 9:20 you came here and it takes you twelve minutes to finish your muffin. Then you leave, not without look back and murmur a bye while waving your right hand. Or am I wrong?”   
  
Idina stared at the younger woman, too amazed to even react. Kristen, proudly, blowed her fingers in a gun gesture, smiling at the mesmerized expression of the brunette.   
  
“I think I just shoot my shot”, she commented, turning to grab a small paper bag and cup placed behind her, “It just happened that I got your order ready three minutes before you arrive”.   
  
“God, what I did to deserve this kind of service?” she joked as she leaned into the counter, placing her forearms on the cold surface. Kristen did the same, silently staring into her eyes before being interrupted by a voice screaming in the behind:   
  
“Kristen, I need you here to order these boxes!”   
  
“Crap, he’s my manager. I better go,  _ Caramel Machiatto _ ”.   
  
“You can call me Idina, you know”.   
  
“Yeah, I would prefer not”.   
  
And with that she playfully hit her shoulder, sticking her tongue before turn over her heels to head to the kitchen.   
  
Idina stood there for a while, missing the voice of the blonde and, most important, sliding her fingers down her shoulder to recreate the contact again.   
  


  
“I don’t understand why you’re acting in such an immature way”.   
  
“Me? Oh, don’t you dare to put the blame on me. You were the one who cheated, or are you going to say you didn’t know that what you were doing was wrong?” Idina’s skin color was far away from her natural one, a shade of dark red covering her face.   
  
She was angry. Angry at her husband for being an idiot, for waste the money she earned with a lot of hard work, for degrade to a merely sexual object, for cheated on her plenty of times.   
  
She could keep listing all the reasons behind her divorce and yet she would ran out of time, hating the view of the man smirking in front of her.   
  
Idina hated him for not act serious but mostly hated herself for keep being married with him for 14 miserable years.    
  
“I don’t think is that important”, he excused, leaning back to the chair.   
  
“Is not? We’re getting a divorce for that exact reason... among others”, she murmured, crossing her arms.   
  
”Oh really? Are you gonna start with your crazy ideas”.   
  
“Crazy? I’m not the mental unstable here. Not the one who refused to have kids because didn’t want to take a risk of them not being white, or the one that love to show off being married to a white woman”, she raised her voice, too angry to think properly, “Why don’t you admit that despite being a black man you’re a racist full of shit”.   
  
“Woah, let’s calm a little, can we?” Louise intervened, placing a hand on Idina’s shoulder.   
  
“See?”   
  
“You too, Taye”.   
  
Idina then got up from her chair, walking around the office that seemed to be smaller with every step and trying to calm down her constant hurtful thoughts. She stood in front of the large window, taking a view down the street and spotting the small coffee shop at the other side of the street.   
  
She glared at the clock.   
  
It was way too late to take her usual coffee and after the fight that happened seconds ago all what she wanted was to get home quickly to hide in her room and not being bothered for, apparently, being an incompetent wife and woman.   
  
“Can we take a quick break, Brendon?” Louise’s voice was heard, talking directly to Taye’s lawyer.   
  
“Actually, I’d love to finish for today”, Idina commented, taking her purse with her, “I can’t handle it anymore”.   
  
Louise looked to her similar for an objection that never came, nodding and seeing how her client left quickly the room without even bother to say goodbye, the sound of her high heels echoing in the corridor.   
  
She didn’t bother to use the elevator, the rage building inside herself was strong enough to make her walk seven floors down the mezzanine without problem, exiting the big golden door and walking down the street in rage, her hands pressed in fists.   
  
She didn’t even care to look to the coffee shop, much less to be gentle with the people walking near to her. She was so drowned in her own thoughts that didn’t notice a young woman screaming her name from the other side of the street, raspy voice as she tried unsuccessfully to be heard.   
  
“Wait!” Idina then recognized the voice, noticing that Kristen was crossing the street, still in work clothes, managing to not being crashed by a car. She stopped her pace, rubbing her face in order to avoid for the blonde to notice the tears that she were holding at that moment. “Hey umm... hey”.   
  
“Hey”, was everything she could say, her voice plain and emotionless.   
  
“Eh, umm... I got worried when you didn’t came this morning”, Kristen stood next to her and she was surprised by her actual height, a few inches smaller than her.   
  
“You were?” the way those words came were a surprise even to her, speaking in a hopeful tone.   
  
“Of course!” she quickly announced, realizing soon that she might have had look a little obsessed and soon correcting herself, “I mean, you’ve became a regular customer”.   
  
_ Of course, a customer. She wanted your generous tip, asshole. _   
  
“And I missed you as well”, Kristen dropped her shoulders, hiding her hands behind her back before suddenly add, “Not miss miss but miss. I mean... Yeah I just... Damn it”.   
  
Idina looked up, letting her eyes connect with the blonde ones and controlling herself to not hug her and cry on her shoulder right there. Because she was hurt, she has always been and only noticed it when someone truly cared and worried about her absence.   
  
Tho she always thought that kind of love would come from her soon-not-to-be-her husband, not from the cute extrovert barista of a random coffee place in the city. Taye never offered to her a look full of love and worry like Kristen did, and yet she found herself hiding to her the real reasons about why she decided to not stop by that morning, choosing to lie instead.    
  
“I was busy, that’s all”.   
  
“Somehow I don’t believe you. Idina, is everything okay?”   
  
Kristen tried to reach from her hand only to be roughly pushed aside. Her heart broke at the sad expression in the blonde’s face, crushing her inside when she wiped her eyes with her hands to fight her...   
  
_ tears? _   
  
She was trying to not cry, Idina didn’t know why. She was pretty sure the blonde didn’t know anything about her besides her coffee preferences and name and yet here she were being truly worried about the brunette.   
  
Too worried that she even left her work to catch her in the other side of the street, risking her life to cross it in order to talk with her. Idina punched herself internally for being a literal asshole.   
  
“I... I’m getting a divorce”, it was the first time she said the word with D that loud, and somehow it wasn’t that shameful like she thought would be.   
  
Kristen simply stared at her, unsure about what to say next as she took a few of steps back. Idina felt pitiful in front of her, looking down her feet to try to ignore the uncomfortable moment that suddenly had formed.   
  
“That’s crap”, Kristen finally said, hitting the sidewalk with the tip of her shoes. “Or not. I mean, aren’t you free of that dickhead now”, she tensed her shoulders a sign that she was truly concerned.   
  
“Does your mouth is always that dirty?”, Idina laughed, forgetting the main topic of the conversation.   
  
Kristen simply smiled, biting her left thumbnail that Idina noticed was perfectly trimmed as well as the rest of her nails. “Not yet, we still have to sign the papers and well... he’s being an actual dickhead”.   
  
“You were way too good for his fragile masculinity, I can assure you”, she then caressed her arm, making Idina shiver at the unexpected touch.   
  
“Thank you, Kris”, she moved aside to grab the hand that was placed on her arm, holding it firmly.   
  
Idina didn’t know how much she craved for this touch until today. In fact she would never came to the realization that in those lonely nights in which she lied on her bed, playing with her own fingers, she wished Kristen to be right there next to her.   
  
But now, with the blonde’s hand fitting perfectly hers she can let herself admit the enorm effect that she has on her. And deep inside that realization scared her. Because she never craved for this affection for someone but her,  _ damn it _ , husband. And long before him she never got excited to see someone much less feel this strange sensation in her body.   
  
For the first time in months she felt loved, cared and listened for someone. So she simply hold her tighter, not caring about anyone or anything else, not even giving a fuck about if Kristen felt the same way about her. Her merely presence was enough and more, and she could never be more grateful about it.    
  
After what seemed an eternity Kristen broke the touch, hiding her hands in her pockets and balancing herself over her heels, “I better leave, don’t want to get problems after. But here, give me your phone”.   
  
Idina handed Kristen her phone after she unlocked it, seeing the blonde typing quickly before give it back to her.   
  
“Just text”.   
  
And with that she left, walking away from her without even say goodbye. When Idina was about to do the same she looked back, offering one of those smiles that always managed make Idina’s body get weak.   
  
She waved a goodbye, with her right hand as Kristen always remembered, before unlock her phone and stare at her phone number, her entire face lighted up.   
  
**_I’d love to meet you a little bit more. Just text me. Any time - Kristen :)_ ** **_  
  
_ **

Five weeks after their first encounter outside the cafe, that were followed by plenty of them, she finally signed the divorce papers. Two days after that she texted Kristen to inform the news, still feeling the strange dizziness that always seemed to take over her body the exact moment the blonde came to her mind.  
  
Barely fourteen minutes ago Taye showed up to her apartment, the old key from the main door in his hand, the other stained in red after slap her face, breaking her lower lip in the process before take with him the few things that he still had in their former bedroom.  
  
Idina didn’t cry, she couldn’t, she _would_ _never_ allow herself to cry. Not even when her face was still swollen due the pain, much less when he called her a materialistic bitch for not give him half of the money that practically she made with her own company.  
  
She simply opted for stood there, taking conscience of her own space and time before reach for her phone. She stood there, hearing to the constant sound of the leak in the kitchen and the sound of cars on the main street, getting too focused on them instead of her own thoughts.  
  
And then after she internalized what had happened she texts her, as she promised, writing one word spoken directly from her heart but filled with fear and insecurities.  
  
 **Idina [9:21 pm]:**  
 _Come._

  
  
  
Kristen came twenty three minutes after receive the text, stepping into the luxurious apartment behind Idina, the sound of the door being closed breaking the strange silence that formed after Taye left.   
  
They both found their space on the couch, letting themselves being bathed by darkness of the room. Idina doesn’t want to turn off the lights but simply stay there, feeling Kristen’s breath next to her and her weight sinking the couch.   
  
The action of look at her face never crossed her mind choosing to focus on the tile floor instead, her bare feet brushing the cold surface as she wrapped her arms around her chest, wanting to hold herself in order to avoid cry. Or scream. Or kiss her. Or to do each one of them without a specific order.   
  
The living room, the whole apartment suddenly feels too big for them, seeing themselves more and more small with every second that passed.   
  
She felt the warm liquid run down her chin but she doesn’t bother to wipe it, letting it paint in crimson red the white leather. Kristen probably noticed the intense smell because soon Idina felt the couch sank near to her and a surprisingly cold body hide her face against her chest, small hands gripping at her waist like if she didn’t want to let her go, like if the small injure would make her leave her side forever.   
  
After this Idina would never remember about their encounters at and outside the coffee shop, the texts they sent to each other until it was four am when then Idina had to convince herself to get a good amount of sleep.   
  
She wouldn't think about the good dizziness in her stomach every time she used to think about Kristen but the weakness she felt in her whole body the second Taye punched her face and how somehow the physical pain became emotional when the blonde was right there next to her, holding her like if it were her life that depended of it not Idina’s.   
  
She was hurt because she came without any kind of further explanation. Kristen  _ simply _ came, seeing her at her worst moment without make a comment about it. And it hurt even when she should be feeling relief about it. Because she was scared of show her true emotions and being rejected or, in worst of the cases, being loved back just because she  _ had _ to be nice with her after being physically abused by her ex husband.   
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by Kristen’s voice but she was too focused in her own mess to notice what she said, looking down to meet with those baby blue eyes that this time didn’t make her feel love but pity about herself.    
  
“Huh?”   
  
“I asked if this was the first time”.   
  
Idina knew pretty well what she meant so instead of reply her eyes just focused on a different point of the room. She didn’t care which one, hiding her shame again from her.   
  
“It doesn’t matter if it was one time or thousands”, and her voice sounded more angry than she wanted to, feeling the young woman’s body tense in her touch.    
  
“I’m sorry”, she murmured, moving her body to let the blonde sit again, realizing that probably she made the whole situation more uncomfortable. “I’m glad you came tho”.   
  
“You texted”, Kristen quickly reply came, running her fingers down her short blonde hair, an action that - Idina discovered - she always did when she was nervous. She was trying to play it cool.   
  
“I thought you wouldn’t care about it”.  _ About me  _ was all she wanted to say but she was done with her negative attitude.   
  
“I  _ do _ care about, Dee.“   
  
_ Even when you act that shitty when I’m always trying to help _ , the words were unsaid but Idina knew too well how she was acting. And she hated it.    
  
“Me too. Probably way too much”.   
  
Kristen’s eyes met hers and released a breath that Idina didn’t know she was holding.   
  
The brunette didn’t know why she said that, specially in that tone, but she did it, and now she was dealing with a surprised Kristen staring at her face - all swollen and half purple due the punch, stains of dried blood covering her chin and neck.   
  
“I cared way too much too. Probably more”.   
  
“What does that mean?”, she was scared of the answer but she knew she needed one so she opted for ask her, waiting impatiently for her reply. .    
  
“That I like you”, Kristen bite her tongue after the last words almost as if she were about to melt right there.   
  
_ That I like you. _   
  
Those words echoed in her mind over and over and over. And then the image of Kristen’s shyness at the moment she said them.   
  
She wanted to say it back but she found herself frozen, hands resting on her lap as she was analyzing the words again, unsure about what she said or why. Kristen tried to reach for her but by instinct the brunette moved aside, getting off of the couch.    
  
_ That I like you. That I like you. That I like you. That I like you. That I like you. _   
  
That  _ she _ likes me.   
  
That Kristen likes  _ me _ .   
  
In the middle of her conflict she didn’t notice that the blonde have had left the couch, walking towards the main door probably after a lack of a direct response. Idina then catches for her, gripping at her left hand firmly, leaving a pink mark around her wrist.   
  
She breathed in, ignoring the depressive voice in her head.   
  
“I like you too”, her body relaxed, “I’ve done it since the first day”.   
  


  
That morning the streets of New York were desolate, bathed in an intense rain that only seemed to get worse. The thunders mixed with the sound of the traffic and one than other new yorker insulting a random person in the sidewalk to then disappear in the distance, their bodies filled with rage and covered in water drops.    
  
Idina was one of them, insulting the weather for ruin her expensive boots and hair, having to walk under the storm to reach her destiny: a small vintage coffee shop. It was crowded by people that either wanted pass the storm or get a hot cup of coffee, making impossible for the brunette to reach the counter when she got there, hair incredible wet despite her efforts to keep it dry.   
  
“The weather is a shit today”, the barista in front of her said, somehow a smile on her face.   
  
“You didn’t have to walk under the rain”, Idina too her purse to reach for her debit card, knowing exactly what she’d get, “Can I...”   
  
“Get a tall caramel macchiato with extra cream please, and a chocolate muffin?”, the barista completed her order, reciting it from memory, “Sure”.   
  
“You would never change, wouldn't you?”   
  
“Not when my girlfriend is the most predictable person in this shop”.   
  
Idina blushed at the G word, leaning in to let Kristen steal a quick kiss from her lips and smiling after they broke it. The brunette hide her smile by biting her thumb, Kristen loved when she does that, always finding excuses to make her smile shily.    
  
“I’m also the luckiest in this shop, don’t forget that”.    
  
They both have had begun to date after they confessed their feelings for each other that night, almost one year ago. And the routine of Idina of come to the coffee shop intensified when the blonde accepted to be her girlfriend, being hopeless in love with her.   
  
She truly was, loving the way her relationship with Kristen was, a complete different experience compared with her ex husband, and soon the blonde helped her to accept the things Taye hated of herself. The things she used to think she should change for good.   
  
She got her order from her girlfriend, taking a seat near to the counter to spend hours staring at her vibrant face while attending the shop. Idina would never get used of that, and with everyday that passed the confidence inside her grew up higher and her love for Kristen get strong and strong, finding herself safe in her arms, loving the way her voice pronounced her name in the morning and her soft kisses before sleep.   
  
Idina smiled at the blonde, her heart going faster when Kristen smiled back.   
  
She never thought she’d found love by simply stepping into a vintage coffee shop.   


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for read, I hope you liked it <3


End file.
